THINK | Leveraging Infrastructure by hntbcompanies

INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS

Issue 17 — 2017

Leveraging Infrastructure How do we “peel back” infrastructure layers to reveal new capabilities?

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Topics

In this edition of THINK, we explore strategies for leveraging existing infrastructure — using creativity, technology and partnerships — to deliver greater value to our communities.

Leveraging Infrastructure Transportation leaders are challenged by a persistent maintenance backlog, rising demand and often unreliable funding. Their response: to make the most of the infrastructure already in place, peeling back the layers to reveal new capabilities and to deliver greater benefits to cities, states and the nation.

Breaking the Mold In San Bernardino county, the capital of America’s car culture, an unrelenting rise in air pollution is demanding a less car-centric, more transit-focused approach. Ray Wolfe, Ph.D., Executive Director of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, explains how expanding transit options, implementing leading-edge hybrid trains and fine-tuning first-mile/last-mile connections are helping the County glean greater value from its transportation assets.

Motor City Momentum Rising from the social and economic turmoil of recent decades, the City of Detroit is determined to turn transportation into an effective lever to enhance the well-being of its neighborhoods. Janet Attarian, Deputy Director of Planning and Development for the City of Detroit, takes us on a tour of the City’s nuts-and-bolts fixes and daring innovations, which are combining to leverage the city’s assets to improve public safety, facilitate non-motorized travel and enhance access to services and economic opportunity.

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LE VERAG I N G I N FRASTRU C TU RE

Extracting even greater value from our transportation system America’s transportation system remains one of its most dynamic assets — allowing people to move from one place to another, enabling efficient access to goods and services, and connecting regions to enable economic growth and preserve our quality of life. However, in recent years, transportation leaders have been challenged as they’ve pursued their vital mandate. One reason has been a persistent maintenance backlog, which American Society of Civil Engineers has chronicled and criticized through its Report Card grades that rarely rise above a “C.” Another factor is an increasing population: today’s 326 million Americans are expected by some to number closer to 400 million or more by 2050. At the same time, despite some positive funding developments at the federal and state levels, there are still gaps to adequately invest in an optimal, multimodal solution for cities or regions. So, considering these restraints, the key question for asset managers becomes: How do we maximize the effectiveness of the infrastructure we have? Answers will vary depending on local or regional circumstances, but creativity among transportation strategists, community leaders and private partners is helping to peel back the layers of what we have in place to reveal new capabilities and generate new benefits.

Congestion Breakers

In many areas, this strategic leveraging might well begin with highways due to the financial and physical constraints involved with adding lanes or building new routes. What’s more, the public’s appreciation for smart leveraging of roads appears to

be significant. Recently, HNTB’s America THINKS “Highway Safety, Congestion and the State of Infrastructure — 2017” survey polled a random nationwide sample of Americans to gauge their views on a range of issues. The survey found that 36 percent were in favor of timely information about traffic conditions, alternate modes of travel and alternate routes, and 30 percent were in favor of technology, vehicles and roadways that improve traffic flow. This open-mindedness in the public bodes well for leveraging strategies that both reduce highway congestion and require relatively limited investment. One example of this is reversible lanes, which can take advantage of sensors and data analytics to adjust traffic direction in lanes based on realtime congestion levels. In dense urban areas, cameras, sensors and variable signs can be used in concert to temporarily open highway shoulders to rush-hour traffic or to meter the number of cars entering from on-ramps.

Transit Tweaks

HNTB’s America THINKS survey also found that almost half (48 percent) of Americans believe that providing more public transportation is the best way to reduce congestion. No doubt, it is very costly to build new light rail lines or expand fleets of buses. This is why creativity is required to extract greater benefits from

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what is already in place. For example, in this edition you will read about San Bernardino County’s challenges with providing enhanced mobility solutions while facing some of the nation’s worst air quality issues. The County is investing in ever-greener public transit options — “hybrid” rail cars that run in the intervals between traditional trains and reduce the number of rush-hour drivers on highways. At the same time, San Bernardino is cultivating more first-mile/last-mile options to make public transportation a viable solution for more people, further reducing congestion and pollution. Under the “nuts and bolts” category, some agencies are investing in the technology and personnel needed to keep fare revenues flowing in. Many cities are releasing smartphone apps that make it easier for transit riders to purchase fares on trains, buses and related assets. In Massachusetts, straightforward strategies such as hiring more conductors to collect tolls and instituting new, longer-haul train runs are contributing to increasing ridership and fare revenues.

Street Sharing

In city downtowns, much of the focus and investment has been related to making it easier for cars to come, park and leave. This has contributed to economic growth and provided access to a great range of critical services. However, the net effect in many cities has been that autos “rule the road.” Pedestrians and bicyclists, for the most part, must be on guard to avoid collisions.

IT’S THE INTERACTIVITY AND SYNCHRONIZATION OF OUR ASSETS THAT CAN REALLY RAMP UP THE BENEFITS OF THE COMMUNITY. Fortunately, city planners nationally are increasingly focused on creating complete streets, which allow all users — pedestrians, cyclists, transit assets and cars and trucks — to share the streets in efficient and mutually reinforcing ways. The National Complete Streets Coalition, which launched this concept in 2004, reports that currently more than

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1,060 local, regional and state agencies have adopted complete streets policies. There is no standard template for leveraging streets to achieve broader benefits. Some communities have installed sidewalks where they did not exist. Others have created discrete bike lanes (or marked them off on wider street shoulders). To make transit fit more seamlessly into the flow of the city, some communities have created designated lanes for buses while enhancing bus stops by adding such features as bicycle racks (or bike-sharing stations) to promote multimodal commuting. In some cities, the major challenge of pursuing a complete streets strategy is space: road traffic is already a problem and there are limited opportunities to reassign whole or partial lanes for other uses. However, even with these conditions, cities have narrowed streets, built roundabouts and designed traffic-calming features to make it easier for non-motorists to more fully enjoy the downtown. In many other cities, the population has been shrinking as people either move to suburbs or other regions entirely. One well-known example of this is Detroit, a city with a population of roughly 700,000 (that number was about 950,000 in 2000 and about 1.8 million in 1950). Consequently, the city’s streets have very light traffic in many areas, making them ripe for complete streets experimentation. Working within the parameters of a city that has only recently emerged from bankruptcy, the team there is focused on healthy community design, making streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, and creating lanes and a greenway to sustain Detroit’s momentum as one of the “bicycle capitals” of the nation. In recent years, cities and towns have invested significantly in building or adapting infrastructure to accommodate bicyclists. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, about 26.3 percent of adults — 52.4 million people — have access to both bike paths and lanes in their areas. In essence, this means that these people may have the option of using their bikes to conduct daily tasks like commuting and shopping, as well as for more recreational purposes (e.g., taking a Rails-to-Trails route through a rural area). However, 43 percent of adults — 85.7 million — have access to neither bike paths lanes. Many bicycle lanes are simply marked areas on the side of roadways, reflecting the relatively low cost of painting lines as

What is the most important priority for our surface transportation network?

OTHER 48%

40%

36%

30%

22%

Provide more public transportation choices

Add capacity in critical corridors, such as adding lanes to existing highways and developing new routes

Provide timely information about traffic conditions, alternate modes of travel, and alternate routes

Provide technology in vehicles and the roadway that improves traffic flow

Make low-cost improvements to get as much as we can out of current capacity, such as converting highway safety shoulders into travel lanes

Other

Source: America THINKS: Roadway Safety and Congestion — 2017

compared to constructing protected lanes. However, protected lanes are clearly favored because they buffer users from cars, thus reducing the risk of injury or death. Fear of harm from cars can hinder otherwise readyto-roll biking enthusiasts. According to the U.S. DOT, bicyclists who ride in areas without bike paths or lanes are nearly twice as likely to feel endangered (mainly from cars) as bicyclists who have access to paths or lanes.

Synching the Levers

Leveraging these diverse elements of our transportation infrastructure is only part of the solution. It’s the interactivity and synchronization of our assets that can really ramp up the benefits to the community. Ondemand mobility options such as ridesharing and bike-sharing are increasingly capable of connecting people from their homes to transit stations, so they can leave their cars in the garage rather than add to highway

congestion and smog. Smartphones are getting smarter, allowing for integration of transportation modes, fare payment and information updates. No one can predict how technology will impact transportation in the next decade, but we know that converging trends such as autonomous vehicles and vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity will alone be game-changers. These emerging concepts will challenge all of us in the transportation business to be open-minded, creative and ready to forge new alliances across sectors to speed innovation. The more we can leverage the outstanding assets we have today, the better able we’ll be to provide the right infrastructure for the next generation of Americans. ■

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Breaking the Mold Taking on San Bernardino County’s dual challenge of improving mobility and sustainability is demanding a broader view of transportation — and a bit of science. By Ray Wolfe, Ph.D.

Many regard San Bernardino as the capital of America’s car culture, a high honor considering that all of Southern California is synonymous with a love for cars, chrome and cruising. This reputation, among many other factors, helps to explain why San Bernardino County is one of California’s fastest-growing counties — and why our transportation needs are particularly complex and challenging. If you’ve traveled through San Bernardino County, you know that it is vast and geographically diverse. Comprising more than 20,000 square miles, it is the largest county in the lower contiguous states, based on land area. The county is distinguished by, among other things, high and low deserts, including the Mohave Desert, and several mountain chains. Most of the county’s 2 million-plus people live in or near the San Bernardino Valley, the cornerstone of the area and the epicenter of the county’s transportation challenge. This challenge has three elements. First, the population in the metro area continues to rise, fueled by relatively affordable land (“cheap dirt,” to use the vernacular) and proximity to jobs in Greater Los Angeles and other cities to our west. This urban sprawl, well known in parts of California and across the country, has created significant traffic congestion across our highways and roads. Second, our county is heavily used for freight movement. While the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego may be the gateways to Asia, our county represents the gateway to America. Roughly 40 percent of the goods destined for markets outside of California pass through our county. This means that despite federal investments in seaports to improve the flow of goods, little is done to address the constraints placed by the “land ports” that funnel freight across a limited number of routes. The third element of our challenge involves the confluence of natural and man-made factors. The San Bernardino

3 8

Executive Director, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority

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Valley is bordered by mountains — to the north, south, east and west. The prevailing winds push air pollution that’s generated in Los Angeles and Long Beach into our county, where it combines with our own emissions and stalls. The result is that San Bernardino County has the unenviable distinction of having the highest ozone levels in the country. These factors — rising population and congestion, tightening freight bottlenecks and intensifying pollution — are demanding that San Bernardino County Transportation Authority become more innovative and effective than ever before. As an organization, we are determined to deliver the best transportation infrastructure to our county, not just for today but far into the future. We are very serious about taking the long view. In fact, we’re obligated to do so. As with many other self-help counties in California, our transportation investments must be very well focused, demonstrating both immediate and long-term benefits to those who live here. Our voters approved Measure I, a half-cent transactions and use tax, in 1989 — and renewed in 2004 — expressly to pay for infrastructure improvements that would ensure the county’s future economic vitality. As the state and federal dollars that once leveraged key projects have eroded over the years, we have had to manage Measure I-linked expenditures ever more wisely. It’s a matter of voter trust. Thus, as enticing as it might seem to try to pave our way out of congestion, we know this is not a sustainable solution.

Creating More Connections

The county’s transit investment has risen dramatically in recent years,

offering people more public transportation options than ever before. The challenge, however, is helping to coordinate modes in effective, efficient ways. Creating connections — that’s more important than creating new infrastructure. For this reason, we are completing a project that’s linking the San Bernardino and Inland Empire-Orange County lines of the regional Metrolink passenger rail system with our newly constructed San Bernardino Downtown Transit Center. We are talking about a 1-mile extension that connects these rail systems to 10 local and two freeway express bus routes, a bus rapid transit line and various bus routes operated by neighboring transportation authorities. The net effect is that many thousands of commuters every day soon will be able to step from bus to train, and back again, enjoying a relatively seamless and costeffective trip. We also are investing in a new railroad connecting to the University of Redlands farther east, and environmental work has begun on a BRT system serving the West Valley and Ontario International Airport. As we are making these investments, we also are closely monitoring advancements in new technologies, such as car sharing and autonomous vehicles, and exploring ideas for integrating them into our system. At the very least, such technologies may assist with first- and last-mile connections, since many communities in the county have insufficient population density to support the concept of people bicycling or walking to reach public transportation options. Where sufficient population density does exist, our transportation investments are generating enthusiasm for transit-oriented development. In our western

reaches, largely along the San Bernardino Metrolink corridor, communities have begun to embrace this rail corridor as an asset rather than an eyesore. The communities of Rancho Cucamonga and Montclair are leading this change with an array of residential and commercial development projects either built or planned within a half-mile of Metrolink stations. We want to cultivate more of this kind of activity, which is why we’re strategically looking for new corridors within the more heavily concentrated population centers where high-density growth may occur in the future.

Pushing the Envelope

We are in the midst of creating a new, 9-mile rail service that will extend from downtown San Bernardino to Redlands. Called the Redlands Passenger Rail Project, the effort is notable for our decision to use a new type of self-propelled rail car as the primary vehicle for transporting passengers. Much like today’s popular hybrid cars, these rail cars combine rechargeable energy storage with a high-efficiency power source to cruise along the rails. No locomotive required.

WHERE SUFFICIENT POPULATION DENSITY DOES EXIST, OUR TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS ARE GENERATING ENTHUSIASM FOR TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT. THINK ISSUE 17 — 2017 9

By employing hybrid rail units we simultaneously address two of the challenges mentioned earlier. First, the units provide flexibility to tailor rail service to community needs; the number of units can be adjusted to meet passenger volume. Second, these units improve sustainability; they have been engineered to achieve the very stringent Tier 4 emissions standards set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Taking things one step further, we are working with our hybrid unit manufacturer on incentives for adopting emerging energy sources that could deliver even better environmental results. The prospect of pushing the boundaries like this is particularly exciting to me. SBCTA’s professionals and experts weave innovative ideas into their daily activities, supported by a board of directors that encourages development of new approaches to difficult problems. Our team is considering innovations and trends that will impact how people access our transportation infrastructure in the coming years. Looking beyond the safety and capacity benefits of emerging autonomous vehicles, we are keeping an eye on emerging concepts, such as the Hyperloop, which promises to move freight (and, someday, people) at the speed of sound. If such technology becomes available in the U.S. in 20 years, we must consider how our county highways might look with hundreds of thousands fewer tractor-trailer runs. Other technology advances will indirectly affect how people use transportation. It’s estimated that the number of people “teleworking” has doubled in the last 10 years. It’s a trend that’s likely to continue as computing power, telepresence and managerial comfort levels make it possible for millions more to avoid the daily commute. We’re watching this trend, too, as we think about how and where people will travel in our county in 20 years.

Erasing the Boundaries

Solving our long-term transportation challenges will require that we erase the traditional boundaries of our discipline, to harness emerging technologies and approaches, and consider how our work can advance broader social and economic goals at every level. We must deliver the greatest possible value to our constituents by building and maintaining a transportation system that is seamless and integrated. We are very fortunate to be working with many forward-looking leaders in our state as we pursue these vital goals for the people of San Bernardino County. We are working closely with our regional partners across Southern California, as well as the state, where investments are planned to ensure seamless operations. Working in concert with these leaders, and tapping into the creativity of SBCTA’s talented team, we’re on the road to making San Bernardino both the capital of car culture and a center for transportation innovation in the years to come. ■

About the Author Dr. Raymond Wolfe is the Executive Director of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), the Council of Governments and Regional Transportation Planning Agency for San Bernardino County. He joined SBCTA in April 2012 after spending more than 20 years with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). At Caltrans, Dr. Wolfe served in many capacities, including Director for District 8, covering both San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. He received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Southern California, an M.S. in civil engineering from the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, and a B.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. He is a Registered Civil Engineer and a Registered Mechanical Engineer in the State of California.

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Motor City Momentum Through innovative planning, creative programs and strong community partnerships, Detroit is adding mobility options and creating healthy neighborhoods. By Janet Attarian

Deputy Director, Planning and Development, City of Detroit

Under the leadership of Mayor Mike Duggan, the City of Detroit is in transformation. With the appointment of Maurice Cox, an urbandesign visionary, as the city’s planning director, a robust and diverse team is being developed to help pursue a set of ambitious goals during the coming years. The development mission being pursued is not just about designing spaces or improving mobility: the aim is to create healthy neighborhoods — the building blocks of a healthy, vibrant city. Healthy neighborhoods are safe. They provide multiple modes of transportation and have housing options and retail variety. In addition, they have access to services such as health care parks and recreational spaces. To create healthy neighborhoods, you must be global in your thinking and incredibly cooperative in how you operate. The city has an amazing array of players who contribute their ideas and bring resources to bear to improve their neighborhoods. A city of self-starters, many Detroiters have been working very hard to improve their city. So, as the city begins to engage the community in planning and implementation, we are listening carefully to the people who are experts in their communities. After a full picture is obtained, it’s then our role to be the convener, bringing the parties and the pieces together and working systematically to ensure investments deliver something greater than the sum of many different parts.

Streets as Strategy

When a Detroit resident leaves home to head somewhere, the first place they step is onto the sidewalk and streets. City streets connect everybody and therefore are a primary target for creating healthy neighborhoods. We are pursuing a “complete

streets” strategy aimed at achieving several important goals. First and foremost, preserve the very lives of people in the city: in 2015, Detroit had the highest pedestrian fatality rate in the nation, according to a recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Ensuring streets are not merely funnels for motor vehicles but rather are part of a well-planned and multifaceted system is critical. Streets need to safely be shared by vehicles, bikes and pedestrians alike, so people can shop, eat and access various services in a way that feels intuitive and comfortable. Streets can be safer and more welcoming through human-centered design, so that many factors — a sense of pattern and scale and an enjoyable environment — all come together. This effect can’t be achieved in one giant leap, and there is no one-size-fits-all template. To identify the human-centered designs that fit our city, we are conducting cost-effective pilots and experiments that generate acceptance and enthusiasm as successes mount. A good example of this experimental approach is the “Open Streets Detroit” initiative of last autumn, when we transformed 3.7 miles of a main downtown thoroughfare into a real-time trial. On two subsequent Sundays, the street was closed to traffic so people could participate in a range of healthful activities. There were youth soccer games, dance workshops, exercise classes, performances and other activities. Many businesses also took part, providing some healthy exercise for the business community and the city economy. Importantly, the experiment demonstrated what can happen when the city joins forces with major civic organizations — in this case, Downtown Detroit Partnership — to

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try something novel. Based on the positive response, Open Streets Detroit could be a regular happening in the city. Some of the same partnerships from Open Streets Detroit also are at the core of our efforts to expand the view of mobility in the city beyond automobiles. We have a growing reputation for being one of the leading cities in the world for bicycling. Bike “block clubs” abound, and it’s not uncommon to see “Slow Roll” events taking place on the streets with as many as 10,000 riders. The city’s landscape is relatively flat, and roads that were built wide to accommodate heavy automobile use decades ago have capacity to accommodate a range of users safely. Bike use is being encouraged in a few different ways. One initiative creates protected bike lanes, making use of road capacity that would otherwise go underused. These bike lanes are situated with the curb

The development mission being pursued is not just about designing spaces or improving mobility …

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on one side and a marked buffer zone on the other. Adjacent to the buffer zone, and situated between the bikers and vehicle traffic, are parking spaces. These changes, coupled with a variety of traffic-calming techniques such as curb extensions and road diets, help keep traffic moving consistently but more slowly, making the roads safer for everyone. But it is not enough just to improve neighborhoods; they must be connected to each other, and to jobs. One related, highly ambitious mobility project is The Inner Circle Greenway, which is on track to become a 31.5-mile, non-motorized pathway that encircles Detroit and connects to the nearby cities of Dearborn, Ferndale, Hamtramck and Highland Park. About a quarter of the Greenway route already has been created, some of it off-road and some through on-road bike lanes, and the Greenway

taps into existing or planned paths throughout the region. The city’s first public bike share system, MoGo, just recently launched. Detroiters now have access to more than 430 bikes at about 43 stations across the city. Hopefully, these numbers mark only a start, and this program will ultimately expand to offer more stations and bikes. Importantly, this network of paths and stations offers opportunities for bicycleoriented development, with businesses able to cater to those who are traveling by bike as well as by car.

Connecting the Dots

Although healthy neighborhoods are boosted by strategies such as complete streets and investments in options for non-motorized travel, public transportation remains the backbone that supports other modes of transport. Indeed, despite being known

as the Motor City due to its pioneering automobile roots, as many as a third of households in Detroit today do not own a car, necessitating a strong public transport system. A core strategy for making every dollar count is to creatively optimize services already in place. Fare integration systems are underway, and we are improving bus headways so that people who reach a transfer point don’t have to wait long for a bus that completes their journey. Steps have been taken to make buses more ubiquitous and available. This year, major service improvements were launched, with an additional 1,500 bus trips every week citywide and the creation of 24-hour bus service on nine routes. Several new express bus routes also were added so commuters can more readily reach job centers throughout the city.

… the aim is to create healthy neighborhoods — the building blocks of a healthy, vibrant city.

Some users of the new express services are shaving up to a half-hour off both ends of their commutes. In line with our healthy neighborhoods mission, this service expansion also features a new “Fresh Wagon” that offers transportation to people from their neighborhoods to the city’s Eastern Market on Saturdays, where they can access fresh, affordable produce and other goods. Detroiters also have access to a new downtown streetcar service — something that hasn’t existed in Detroit for about 60 years. The QLINE streetcar began operating on Woodward Avenue, a main thoroughfare, cruising at up to 35 mph along 3.3 miles of track. It connects passengers to the Detroit Amtrak station, which provides regional service to stations across the state, in Indiana, and through to Chicago. Currently a temporary station, the plan is to greatly improve this station during the next several years using its presence to leverage surrounding transit-oriented development.

Making the Most of Big Upgrades

State-scale transportation projects play a major role in shaping the health of our city. And, in this regard, the city’s positive partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation has made a world of difference. The city is working with MDOT continuously on the planning side to generate maximum benefits from large, state-sponsored transportation projects. Collaboration is taking place on a $2.7 billion interstate widening project in the heart of the city. The project involves adding two lanes to a 6.7-mile section of Interstate 94 that has long been one of the most congested highways in southeast Michigan. The city is assisting MDOT in its effort to make this vital modernization project as urban-friendly as possible, achieving congestion relief while simultaneously enhancing the neighborhoods adjacent to the interstate. Planning therefore considers the impact on residents

and businesses: structural separation of neighborhoods, sound and light impacts, placement of ramps and other factors. Similarly, we are working with MDOT on upgrade plans for I-375. Though just 1-mile long, the corridor creates a vital connection between I-75 and downtown. This highway ends near the Detroit River, so plans are being assessed on how this termination can be designed to enhance the downtown area, enable enjoyment of the riverfront and improve neighborhoods.

Beauty Meets Ambition

Planning is more than systematic strategy and program development. The Planning and Development Department is enthusiastic to ensure that all that it implements is aesthetically pleasing. Everywhere, we see the people of Detroit taking actions to improve the look of their homes, or community groups seeking the beautification of a park or building. The city’s aim is to reflect this spirit in the design and construction of the public realm — and in whatever is built on both the public and private sides — to pursue design excellence on a wide range of scales. Our city’s mayor and planning director have both encouraged our teams to think big. This means that, if there’s a great initiative in New York City or London, you’re likely to see us try it here — in distinctly Detroit style. Nothing is off the table. The expectation is to go for greatness. By pursuing this philosophy, and with strong partnerships, we envision a Detroit in which healthy neighborhoods, supported by diverse, affordable mobility options, soon will be the norm for the resilient and proud people who call our city home. ■

About the Author Janet L. Attarian, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Development for the City of Detroit. She formerly was the Project Director of the Chicago Department of Transportation Streetscape and Sustainable Design Program, which aimed to turn that city’s streetscapes, river walks and pocket parks into great urban places.

THINK ISSUE 17 — 2017

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